Savor the Flavor

Tsatziki

Ingredients: 1 pint pressed yogurt, (draining thru cheesecloth to remove excess liquid) 3-4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 2 tbsps. olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Diced fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill 1 cucumber grated, and strained well using a cloth to remove liquid Salt and pepper, to taste Instructions: Place yogurt in a bowl &add all ingredients. Mixwell. Chill. Servewithwedges of pita bread or raw vegetables.

Our Ethnic Cuisine Cookbook, Holy Trinity, Roanoke, Va.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Ingredients: 4 medium eggplants 1 onion, diced 1-2 cloves garlic (optional) 2 tbsps.-1/2 cup sunflower oil 2 tbsps. Lemon juice Sea salt and pepper, to taste 2 tbsps. mayonnaise (optional-becomes non fasting)

Instructions: Heat the grill may add soaked mesquite chips for extra smoke flavor. Rinse the eggplants,piercetheeggplantskinsinseveralplaceswithafork.Grilltheeggplants on each side. Turn them over every 10-15 minutes or so. Grill them until they are charred (40-45 minutes). Cut the stems off. Cut a slit along the side of each eggplant and transfer the eggplantstoastrainerforhalfanhourtoallowthebitterjuicestodrain.Thelonger you drain them the sweeter they will be. Peel the eggplants cleaning off the black crust. Mix the eggplants using a hand mixer. Gradually add sunflower oil. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and chopped onion. Refrigerate. Serve with olives tomatoes and pita chips.

Alina Vrinceanu-Hamm, Romania

Savor The Flavor

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